Seattle Seahawks top NFL’s offseason power rankings

The offseason is in full swing for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL following last week’s free-agent signing frenzy, and you now what that means: time for power rankings. With no games on the horizon for months, rankings and grades will provide fans and analysts with talking points from now until the preseason in August.

NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison released his inaugural list for the 2014 league year, and it should come as no surprise that the Super-Bowl champion Seahawks top the first edition. Here’s his take:

(Expletive deleted) got real this offseason. Seattle lost key components from its pass-rush rotation ( Red Bryant, Chris Clemons) and a solid nickel corner ( Walter Thurmond). Throw in the departure of the fiery Golden Tate — who made many big plays for this franchise — and even the most ardent Seahawks fan will agree it’s clear the team is weaker. That said, Seattle cleaned up in Super Bowl XLVIII for a reason. Retaining Michael Bennett? Huge.

Harrison’s opinion echoes that of most observers: the Hawks lost more than their share of players in the league’s bidding wars, but should still have enough talent on the roster to compete among the NFL’s elite. And though most of the big-ticket names have signed with other teams, the second-and third-tier free agents often turn out to be the difference makers for elite franchises (see Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril last season).

Unsurprisingly, the NFC West features three teams in the top third of the league with Seattle at No.1, the San Francisco 49ers at No. 3 and the Arizona Cardinals coming in at No. 11. The St. Louis Rams bring up the rear at No. 23. Be sure to check out our recap of the division’s offseason moves thus far.

The next batch of rankings should come out after the draft, which takes place May 8-10 in New York’s Radio City Music Hall.